Switch manipulating means



Jupe 9, 1942-.-. BoTucK swIToH MANIPULAMNG MEANS Filed April 9,' 1941 lw III/l -K\.H,

Patented June 9, 1942 UNHTED STATS OFFICE 11 Claims.

truding through a slot in an escutcheon or wall plate. The presentinvention provides means whereby the handle is more convenientlyoperated. It also enhances the external appearance of the switch.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon further study ofthe description and drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a section through the manipulating means in its lower positionshowing also portions of a toggle switch.

Fig. 2 is a section taken similarly to Fig. 1 with more parts of theswitch omitted and shows the manipulating means in its upper position.

Fig. 3 is a section taken similarly to Fig. 2 and shows the manipulatingmeans in its middle position.

Fig. 4 is a View looking along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section taken to an enlarged scale along the line 5-5 ofFig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the attaching means shown by itself, saidmeans being turned at right angles from its position shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a section through an attaching meansv provided with a spiralspring, said means being shown by itself.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a tapered attaching means shown by itself, and

Fig. 9 is an end elevation of the attaching means of Fig. 8.

The form of the device shown in Figs. 1-6 comprises a sheet metalhousing I 9 provided with pivot pins II projecting inward from oppositeside walls. Mounted on pivot pins II is the attaching means denoted inits entirety by the numeral I2. Attaching means I2 is formed of twosubstantially U-shaped resilient members I3 and I4 set at right anglesto each other, one within the other, the heads of the members where theycross being attached to each other as by welding. A rivet, not shown,through the members where they cross, also could be used to fasten themtogether instead of welding. Member vI3 has a flange or wing I5extending from the outer end of each leg back in a directionsubstantially parallel to the leg. Each ange I5 is provided with a slotI6 for slidably and pivotally mounting it on a pin II. Extending fromone lil end of housing I0 to the other in a longitudinal direction andbetween attaching means I2 and the front wall of the housing, is a platespring II normally pressing back against said means.

The switch I8 shown in the drawing is the Well known toggle switchhaving a pivotally mounted handle I 9 which projects through a slot oropening 26 in escutcheon plate 2|.

The switch manipulating device is attached to handle I9 by pressing theattaching means I2 over said handle, spreading apart somewhat againsttheir resilience the legs of members I3 and I4. This causes a frictiongrip of attaching means I2 to handle I9. With handle I9 turned down, asin Fig. l, pivot pin is located in the forward end of slot I6, and thehead ends of members I3 and I4 flex spring I'I so that the latter tendsto maintain attaching means I2 and housing I0 in the position set. Withhandle I9 turned up, as in Fig. 2, pivot pin is again located in theforward end of slot I6 and the head ends of members I3 and I4 flexspring I'I so that the latter tends to maintain attaching means I2 andhousing I0 in the position set. In passing from the down position ofFig. 1 to the up position of Fig. 2, as shown by Fig. 3, housing IU maybe moved parallel to escutcheon plate 2| by causing pivot pins II totravel rearward in slot I6, or in other words allowing means I2 while itis pivoting about pins II also to have a motion of translation towardthe forward Vwall of the housing. This travel is resisted to a certainextent my spring I'I. Spring I1 is a light spring although the drawingshows it thick for clarity. Usually the weight or pressure of the handagainst housing I0 in throwing it from upper to lower positionsubstantially keeps it from moving in an arc away from escutcheon plate2|, means I2 traveling forward, said motion being permitted by thechange in position of pins II in slots I6. Besides holding housing I0rmly in its upper and lower positions, spring I1, when the device isseparated from handle I9, normally holds means I2 away from the forwardwall of the housing, helping in pressing the open end of means I2 overthe end of handle I9.

While the drawing shows a slot I6 in each of wings I5, the device can beconstructed without the slot, just a hole being provided in the Wings`to t the relative position shown for pin II in Fig. 1. Under theseconditions, when the handle of the switch is thrown from one of itsextreme positions to the other, housing IU and attaching means I2 aremoved in the arc of a circle instead of substantially parallel toescutcheon plate 2|, as when slots I6 are provided.

In the form of attaching means shown in Fig. '7, in addition to membersI3 and I4 a helical spring 22 is mounted in the cup formed by saidmembers. Spring 2'2 is tapered toward its place of attachment to thehead of member I4. With this construction, instead of using theresilience of members I3 and I4 frictionally to grip handle I9, spring22 is forced over the projecting end af the handle.

In the attaching means illustrated in Figs. 8- and 9 instead of usingseparate members I3 and I4, a one piece cup 23 is used which is tapered,the small end being at the closed or forward end of the cup. Wings 24,having slots I6, are provided extending from opposite sides of cup 23.

It will be readily understood that various other forms of attachingmeans can be used in addition to those disclosed and still come withinthe scope of the invention. Further, box or housing IIJ need notnecessarily be of the square type shown but may have other forms andalso come within the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. Electric switch manipulating means for throwing the swingably mountedhandle of a switch, said handle projecting through an opening in theescutcheon plate of the switch, said means having a member for grippingthe projecting portion of the handle, and a housing over said member,said housing being open on its side toward the escutcheon plate, saidmem,- ber being pivotally mounted in the housing to accommodate theswinging of the handle when the housing ismoved opposite the escutcheonplate to throw the handle into its positions for opening and closing theswitch.

2. Electric switch manipulating means for throwing the swingably mountedhandle of a switch, said handle projecting through an opening in theescutcheon plate of the switch, said means having a substantiallycup-shaped member with its open end toward the plate and formed to slipover the projecting end of the handle and to hold frictionally thereon,a housing for said member, said member being pivotally mounted in thehousing to accommodate the swinging of the handle when the housing ismoved opposite the escutcheon plate to throw the handle into itspositions for opening and closing the switch.

3. Electric switch manipulating means for throwing the swingably mountedhandle of a switch, said handleprojecting through an opening in theescutcheon plate of the switch, said means having a member for grippingthe projecting portion of the handle, a housing for said member, andmeans for mounting the member in the housing, said mounting meanspermitting a pivotal motion and a motion of translation of the memberwith respect toi the housing to accommodate the. swinging of the handlewhen the housing. is moved substantially parallel to the escutcheonplate to throw the handle into its positions for opening and closing theswitch.

4. Electric switch manipulating means for throwing the swingably mountedhandle of a switch, said handle projecting through an opening in theescutcheon plate of the switch, said means comprising a spring memberand a housing over said member, the latter being formed to be slippedagainst its resiliency over the projecting portion of the handle, meansfor pivotally mounting the member in the housing to accommodate theswinging of the handle when the housing is moved opposite the escutcheonplate to throw the handle into its positions for opening and closing theswitch.

5. The combination with an electric switch having an escutcheon plateand a swingably mounted handle for opening and closing the switch, saidhandle projecting through an opening in the escutcheon plate, of ahousing outside the escutcheon plate, and means pivotally mounted in thehousing for attaching the housing to the projecting portion of thehandle, said means accommodating the swinging of the handle when thehousing is moved opposite the escutcheon plate to throw the handle intoits positions for opening and closing the switch.

6. Electric switch manipulating means for throwing the swingably mountedhandle of a switch, said handle projecting through an opening in theescutcheon plate of the switch, said means having a member for grippingthe projecting portion of the handle, a housing for said member, thelatter being provided with slots on opposite sides thereof, andoppositely disposed pins projecting inward from the walls of thehousing, said pins slidably and pivotally engaging'said slots for.accommodating the swinging of. the handle when the housing is movedsubstantially parallel to the escutcheon plate, to throw the handle intoits positions for opening and closing the switch.

7. Electric switch manipulating means for throwing the swingably mountedhandle of a switch, said handle projectingtthrough an opening in theescutcheon plate of the switch, said means having a member for grippingthe projecting portion of the handle, a. housing for said member,resilient wings extending from opposite sides of said member in adirection substantially parallel to said. sides, each wing beingprovided with: a slot, and oppositely disposed pins projecting inwardfrom the walls of the housing, said pins slidably and pivotally engagingsaid slots for accommodating the swinging of the handle when the housingis moved substantially parallel to the escutcheon plate to throw thehandle into its positions for opening and closing the switch.

8. Electric switch manipulating means for throwing the swingably mountedhandle of a switch, said vhandle projecting through an opening in theescutcheon' plate of the switch, said means comprising a tapered helicalspring for gripping the projecting portion of the handle, a member uponwhich the spring is mounted, and a housing over said member and spring,said member being pivotally mounted in the housing to accommodate theswinging of the handle when the housing is moved to throw the handleinto itspositions for openingand closing the switch.

9. Electric switch manipulating means for throwingthe swingably mountedhandle of a switch, said handle projecting through an openingin theescutcheon plate of the switch, said means comprising a. pair ofsubstantially U- shaped resilient members, one set within the otherwiththeir heads substantially at right angles to each other and fastenedtogether forming substantially a cup adapted to slip over the projectingend of the handle and to hold frictionally thereon, and a housing forsaid cup, said cup being pivotally mounted in the housing to accommodatethe swinging of the handle when the housing is moved to throw the handleinto its positions for opening and closing the switch.

10. Electric switch manipulating means for throwing the swingablymounted handle of a switch, said handle projecting through an opening inthe escutcheon plate of the switch, said means comprising a pair ofsubstantially U- shaped resilient members, one set within the other withtheir heads substantially at right angles to each other and fastenedtogether forming substantially a cup adapted to slip over the projectingend of the handle and to hold frictionally thereon, a housing for saidcup, and resilient wings extending from opposite sides of one of saidmembers in a direction substantially parallel to said sides, each wingbeing provided with a slot, and oppositely disposed pins projectinginward from the Walls of the housing, said pins slidably and pivotallyengaging said slots for accommodating the swinging of the handle whenthe housing is moved substantially parallel to the escutcheon plate tothrow the handle into its positions for opening and closing the switch.

11. Electric switch manipulating means for throwing the swingablymounted handle of a switch, said handle projecting through an opening inthe escutcheon plate of the switch, said means comprising a member forgripping the projecting portion of the handle, a housing over saidmember, said member being pivotally mounted in the housing toaccommodate the swinging of the handle when the housing is movedopposite the escutcheon plate to throw the handle into its positions foropening and closing the switch, and a spring in the housing engagingsaid member yieldingly resisting the rotation of the member with respectto the housing.

ELI BO'I'UCK.

